There is a website called archive.org, and within it are a small handful of old party manuals from the 1920s into the 1940s. The most prominent ones are from the 30s, and look to have been published by a radio station of some sort. In these booklets are recipes, for drinks, cookies, etc. One of the recommended menus for a halloween dinner lists cider and ham as keynotes to the meal. Things were very tasteful, with focus of regular foods that were just colored or shaped anew. Not gorey titles or fake blood or eyes, etc.

I'm wondering; did ham from the 1930s taste different from ham of the modern day? I know that commercial injected curing was done since the 20s at the latest, and probably earlier. But whether ham has evolved into a new thing, or would have replicated old world salt and smoke cured dry hams is unknown.

So the question is; can a modern day commercial ham be seasoned, or otherwise made to taste like an older type of ham? Was there even a difference?